30 Juni 2010

At the 4th International Forum and Exhibition Unmanned Multipurpose Vehicle Systems - UVS-TECH 2010, held as part of Engineering Technologies 2010 that opens today in Zhukovsky, Russian Helicopters rotorcraft-manufacturing holding company showcases two perspective unmanned helicopters, Korshun and Ka-135.

These models are designed under Russian Helicopters program on developing a broad spectrum of vertical take-off and landing UAVs within three categories: long range (over 400 km), medium range (up to 400 km) and close range (up to 100 km).

“Unmanned helicopters are a new on-going trend in world unmanned aviation evolving within the past decade. We estimate UAV market as one of the most dynamic and highly perspective. Russian rotorcraft industry should take a niche on this market. In current context our company’s main task is to develop up-to-date and competitive UAVs that are multifunctional, highly reliable and easily maintainable“, states Andrei Shibitov, COO Russian Helicopters.

28 Juni 2010

On 10th June, RSAF 125 Squadron celebrated 25 years successful operation of the Super Puma.To celebrate this milestone, past and present Super Puma community consisting of pilots, commanders and industry partners were invited to Sembawang Airbase for the occasion.

Eurocopter South East Asia (ESEA), being a strategic partner, was pleased to participate actively in this occasion Republic of Singapore Air Force (RSAF) formed 125 Squadron after acquiring a fleet of Super Puma AS332 in 1985.

Mr David Huntzinger, Eurocopter's Vice President, Fleet Safety, who was on a visit to ESEA, declared "I am delighted to be part of this celebration to witness RSAF's confidence in Eurocopter's Super Puma. Eurocopter is also proud to hear that despite the aircrafts being in service for 25 years, they remain relevant and safe for RSAF's wide range of operations. We will continue to provide full support to RSAF for as long as the Super Puma are in service."

Lockheed and F-35 programme officials, however, have criticised Boeing's assertions that the F-15SE offers equivalent front-aspect stealth as the JSF, and denied that an international release standard exists for F-35 stealth characteristics.

Boeing plans to conduct three flights of the F-15SE in the third quarter, including one missile shot from the newly added conformal weapons bay.

27 Juni 2010

KUALA LUMPUR, — PKR’s Chua Tian Chang today demanded that Parliament hold an emergency motion to discuss the acquisition of two types of missiles for the two Scorpene submarines Malaysia had purchased.

Citing payment figures from Pakistan and Portugal, Chua said that Malaysia had paid 20 per cent more than the original market value of the two missiles.

“Based on the acquisition records by the Pakistan government the SM39 missiles only cost €3.07 million (RM12.26 million) per unit while the acquisition records by Portugal show that the Black Shark torpedoes only cost €2 million per unit.

“After calculations were made, the total market price costs of the two types of missiles amounted to €182.8 million. But the Malaysian government’s cost of purchase is €219.265 million. This means that the government had overpaid 20 per cent (€36.465 million) compared to the market price,” said Chua.

The Batu MP said that he had sent a notice letter earlier today to the Dewan Rakyat speaker regarding the matter.

He also questioned the delay in the delivery of the missiles.

Blackshark torpedoes (photo : sousmarin)

“The missiles should have been received sometime between 2008 and 2009 but till today the Malaysian government has yet to receive it.

“Also the warranty for the submarines have expired. The expiry date is in May 2010. After May, there is no warranty. The missiles have not arrived,” said Chua.

Another PKR MP, William Leong said that the MACC (Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission) should conduct an independent investigation into the acquisition of the Scorpene submarines.

“The French authorities have raided DCN, which has had a history of bribing and paying government officials to secure projects.

“Why has the Malaysian government not done anything when the French government have?” said the Selayang MP.

The Defence Ministry revealed last week that it had spent a total of RM6.7 billion on the purchase of two Scorpene submarines.

In a written reply to PKR MP Chua Tian Chang, the ministry stated that the acquisition was completed last year, during the 2009 LIMA exhibition.

The reply listed down the cost of the two submarines as well as the price of buying 40 SM-39 Block 2 torpedoes from France and 30 Black Shark torpedoes from Italy.

According to the ministry, the purchase of two Scorpene submarines cost €1.084 billion, while the cost of the submarine “support and test” equipment amounted to €37.5 million.

26 Juni 2010

The Italian navy has received the go-ahead to procure two 20,000-ton amphibious assault ships (LHDs), with the possibility of a third ship, configured with extensive aviation facilities (LHA).The preliminary LHD project is funded and will take 12 months for completion. It will be followed by a project definition phase requiring eight months and leading to a contract. Delivery of the first ship comes within 30 months after that. If everything goes to plan, the first LHD arrives in late 2014.

LHDs will replace two 8,000-ton San Giorgio-class LPDs, commissioned in 1987 and 1988. The LHA will eventually replace the carrier Garibaldi, which is being dedicated to amphibious and helicopter roles now that the Cavour carrier is in service.

The new LHDs will be 190 meters (623 ft.) long, feature a well dock that holds four LCACs (landing craft air cushions), and have a hangar with dedicated maintenance area where six medium-heavy helicopters can be recovered. The flight deck will provide six landing spots and be served by two elevators, one at the stern, the other forward of the island. It will thus be possible to launch air-assault operations, lifting a reinforced rifle company with each wave and rapidly moving personnel and equipment to the deck. Helicopter capacity will be 12-15, depending on mix.

Capabilities also include four smaller LCVP (landing craft, vehicle, personnel) vessels and two motorboats, all in dedicated spaces with cranes under the port flight deck.

The LHD can accommodate 760 troops, including an aviation detachment and staff personnel, in addition to a ship’s crew of only 200, a result of shipboard automation. The vessel will normally carry a reinforced marine battalion and aviation personnel, and be able to add an amphibious task force and landing force command, which will rely on extensive C4I spaces and systems. The basic space earmarked for the command staff is 500 sq. meters (5,380 sq. ft.).

The ship has a large garage deck with a capacity of 360 tons. The vehicles reach the garage from the well dock or through a large starboard door. The garage floor and ramps can support a 60-ton tank. The roll-on/roll-off concept permits rapid loading and unloading of cargo and vehicles, which can also be parked on the flight deck.

The navy has not yet selected a propulsion system. The general specification calls for a top speed of 20 kt. and range of 7,000 nm. at 16 kt., which translates to 45 days’ endurance. Basic proposals are built around a combined diesel and diesel scheme, with four diesels, each 6,000 kw., driving a shaft and variable-pitch propeller. Engine power will be 20-24 megawatts. There will also be powerful bow thrusters. A diesel-electric or pod configuration is being considered. The pod is popular, but would limit the size of the well deck.

The LHDs will have a large electricity generating capability, with four diesel generators in the 2.5-megawatt class.

A peculiarity of the design is that the ships, at least the first, will have civil protection as the primary operational role. The requirement is taken seriously and dictates many capabilities—for instance, large electricity generation and water purification capacity, including deployment of flexible hoses for ship-to-dock or ship-to-ship water transfer.

The LHD will have a hospital that treats 54, with 1,000 sq. meters of dedicated space. The hospital can expand by using space dedicated to the marines’ mess and loading medical containers in part of the hangar. The C4 spaces can be used as a command center for civil protection authorities.

The navy has not entered into discussions about the sensor suite and combat system. The LHD will have an extensive combat management and command system, multirole search and navigation radar, and electronic warfare protection system including decoy launchers.

The ship will have several 25-mm. gun mounts and machine guns, and possibly one or more Oto Melara 76/62-mm. SR guns in the Strales configuration for missile defense.

To minimize costs, the LHDs will be built to commercial standards, modified somewhat to improve survivability, but without full military specifications. Tradeoffs between cost and survivability are being assessed. According to one estimate, the ship can be built for €300 million ($369 million), excluding combat systems.

25 Juni 2010

The M1991 MLRS is a more powerful version of the older M1985. It has 22 launching tubes and fires the same 240-mm rockets. It has various warhead capabilities, including HE-FRAG, smoke, incendiary and chemical. A standard HE-FRAG warhead weights 90 kg and contains 45 kg of explosives. A claimed maximum range of fire is 43 km. (photo : Military Today)

More North Korean Rockets Reported in Burma

North Korean-made truck-mounted multiple launch rocket systems have been reportedly set up at Burmese army bases in northern, eastern and central Burma, according to military sources.

The North Korean rockets were recently delivered to missile operation commands in Mohnyin in Kachin State, Naungcho and Kengtung in Shan State and Kyaukpadaung in Mandalay Division, sources said. Missile operation commands were reportedly formed in 2009.

It is not clear when the multiple launch rocket systems were shipped from North Korea. However, military sources said delivery of rocket launchers mounted on trucks occurred several times in recent years.

Sources said they witnessed at least 14 units of 240-mm truck-mounted multiple launch rocket systems arrive at Thilawa Port near Rangoon on the North Korean vessel, Kang Nam I, in early 2008. Previous reports said Burma had purchased 30 units of 240-mm truck-mounted multiple launch rocket systems from North Korean.

According to GlobalSecurity.org, North Korea produces two different 240mm rocket launchers, the 12-round M-1985 and the 22-round M-1991. The M-1985 rocket pack is easily identified by two rows of six rocket tubes mounted on a cab behind an engine chassis. The M-1991 is mounted on a cab over an engine chassis. Both launch packs can be adapted to a suitable cross-country truck.

The Kang Nam I was believed enroute to Burma again in June 2009. However, it reversed course and returned home after a US Navy destroyer followed it amid growing concern that it was carrying illegal arms shipments.

However, more arms shipments from North Korea appear to have been delivered to Burma in 2009-2010. The latest report about a North Korean vessel's arrival was in April. The ship, the Chong Gen, docked at Thilawa Port. Last week, the junta acknowledged that the Chong Gen was at the port, but it denied involvement in any arms trading with Pyongyang, saying Burma follows UN Security Council resolution 1874 which bans arms trading with North Korea. The junta said the North Korean vessel came to Burma with shipments of cement and exported rice.

According to reports by Burma military experts Maung Aung Myoe and Andrew Selth, purchasing multiple-launch rocket systems is a part of the junta’s military modernization plan. While the junta has acquired 107-mm type 63 and 122-mm type 90 multiple-launch rocket from China, North Korea has provided it with 240-mm truck-mounted launch rocket.

Some experts have said North Korea is also involved in a secret relationship with Burma for the sale of short and medium-range ballistic missiles and the development of underground facilities. Other experts and Burmese defectors claim that North Korea is also providing Burma with technology designed to create a nuclear program.

Burma severed its relationship with North Korea in 1983 following North Korean agents’ assassination of members of a South Korean delegation led by President Chun Doo Hwan. The two countries restored relations in early 1990s and officially re-establish diplomatic ties in April 2007.

The next stage in Air Force’s air combat capability is about to occur. RAAF is planning to transit six more F/A-18F Super Hornets from the United States to RAAF Amberley in early July.

Minister for Defence, Senator John Faulkner, said a detachment of RAAF aircrew and maintenance personnel from No 1 Squadron is currently conducting work-ups with the brand new aircraft at Naval Air Station Lemoore in California.

“The detachment is completing comprehensive flight testing which includes up to 96 hours of test and evaluation flying and two weeks of Electronic Warfare flight trials from Lemoore,” Senator Faulkner said.

“Another key task involves working with an air-to-air tanker conducting day and night refuelling flights to ensure we are ready for the flight to Australia.”

Comparison between F/A-18C/D and F/A-18 E/F (image : aerospaceweb)“When these jets arrive shortly, close to half of Australia’s twenty four Super Hornets will be based at Amberley, and Defence will be working toward the next milestone of achieving Initial Operating Capability by the end of 2010,” Senator Faulkner said.

The first five Super Hornets were welcomed at RAAF Amberley on 26 March this year. Since then, they have been conducting familiarisation training in Queensland.

The Super Hornet is a highly capable, battle proven, multi-role aircraft that has already proved its effectiveness in service with the US Navy. Its flexibility will enhance Australia’s air combat capability, through maritime and land strike, suppression of enemy air defence, reconnaissance, air-to-air combat and close air support. The F/A-18Fs are a bridging capability through Air Force’s transition to the Joint Strike Fighter.

“The Super Hornet project has been a fine example of team work. Reaching this stage of the project on time and on budget has been due to the great partnership between the Royal Australian Air Force, Defence Materiel Organisation, United States Navy, The Boeing Company and their industry partners, General Electric, Northrop Grumman and Raytheon,” Senator Faulkner said.

Details of the second tranche’s arrival at Amberley will be released closer to the date.

By the end of 2011, all twenty four of Australia’s Super Hornets are scheduled to be in Amberley.

24 Juni 2010

The Norwegian Advanced SAM System (NASAMS). The NASAMS launcher has six ready to fire AMRAAM missiles. (photo : Airforce Technology)

Norwegian Advanced Surface to Air Missile System

Chile is joining Finland, and several other countries, and adopting the Norwegian NASAMS (Norwegian Advanced Surface to Air Missile System) for their air defense needs. Chile was particularly impressed by the track record of reliability NASAMS has compiled. Norway developed this system in the early 1990s and deployed the first missiles and radars in 1995.The Raytheon AMRAAM AIM-120C missile is fitted with clipped fins and has longer range and has very high agility to counter targets making evasive manoeuvres. (photo : Airforce Technology)

NASAMS uses the American AMRAMM radar guided air-to-air missiles, but fired from a six missile container, instead of an aircraft. This ground based AMRAAM weighs 159 kg/350 pounds and has a range of 30 kilometers (it's radar can see out 50-70 kilometers), and can hit targets as high as 21 kilometers (65,000 feet).

Spanish Army NASAMS II launcher vehicle (photo : Outisnn)

What makes the AMRAMM so effective as a SAM is the capabilities of its guidance system (which is about two thirds of the $400,000 missiles cost.) Testing also revealed that AMRAAM could be used to shoot down cruise missiles. Chile believes the AMRAAM (also combat proven) used by NASAMS is a better long term choice for air defense, because the United States is constantly updating the missile.

Rugged Flat Displays for the NASAMS (photo : Barco)

Norway pioneered the use of AMRAAM as a surface-to-air missile, and other systems have been developed using AMRAAM. But the Norwegian version is seen as the best of the lot. Spain, Holland, Finland and the United States also use NASAMS.

The Republic of Singapore Air Force (RSAF) is participating in an exercise, codenamed Exercise Garuda, for the first time with the French Air Force (FAF) and Indian Air Force (IAF). The exercise, which runs from 14 to 25 Jun 2010, is conducted from the Orange and Istres air bases in France. About 180 personnel, six F-16D+ fighter jets and one KC-135R tanker from the RSAF are participating in the exercise, together with the FAF's Mirage-2000 and Rafale fighters and C-135R transport aircraft, and the IAF's Sukhoi-30 fighters, Ilyushin IL-78 tanker aircraft and Ilyushin IL-76 transport aircraft. The participants will be carrying out air combat and air defence missions. The RSAF will also be conducting air-to-air refuelling missions during the exercise.

French's Mirage 2000 and India's Su-30MKI (photo : pics-aeronef)

Exercise Garuda 2010 provides a platform for the RSAF to train with the French and Indian air forces, and conduct air operations in realistic and challenging conditions. The exercise also underscores the good defence ties which Singapore shares with France and India. RSAF Exercise Director Lieutenant Colonel Pek Hong Hwa said, "The French and Indian air forces are very advanced and professional and it has been an enriching tactical experience for our aircrew to exercise with them." FAF Exercise Director Colonel Jean-Paul Clapier added, "The exercise is a good way of allowing the three air forces to work together to accomplish their missions, enhance their skills, and learn from each other." Commenting on the RSAF's first-time participation in the exercise, the IAF Contingent Leader, Group Captain Jeepu Mishra, said the inclusion of the RSAF in the exercise "adds to our learning tremendously as the RSAF is a very experienced air force with exceptionally high professional standards".

RSAF's KC-135R and F-16D+ (photo : pics-aeronef)

To participate in Exercise Garuda 2010, the RSAF conducted a long-range deployment, covering 11,500km from Singapore to France. It was the longest deployment the RSAF had ever undertaken to participate in an exercise. Two KC-135R tankers provided air-to-air refuelling for the six F-16D+ aircraft during the journey.

Australian company Micreo has produced its 500th component for Raytheon’s ALR-67(V)3 radar warning receiver.

Micreo was inducted into the supply chain in early 2008 and has been supplying radio frequency modules for all ALR-67(V)3s including those being retrofitted to RAAF F/A-18 ‘classic’ Hornets and those delivered with the F/A-18F Super Hornets.

“I am delighted to congratulate Micreo and Tim Shaw on this production milestone and share in the company’s pride,” managing director of Raytheon Australia, Michael Ward. “Small and medium sized enterprises like Micreo are vital to the future of the Australian defence industry and primes such as Raytheon Australia have an important responsibility to do what they can to showcase their best capabilities to the world.”

23 Juni 2010

KUALA LUMPUR: The country’s second Scorpene submarine, KD Tun Razak, is heading for a momentous homecoming at the Royal Malaysian Navy base in Lumut on July 2.

The sultans of Perak and Selangor, Sultan Azlan Shah and Sultan Sharafuddin Idris Shah, are expected to grace the ceremony along with Defence Minister Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi and military top brass, said a Defence Ministry spokesman. The Sultan of Selangor is captain-in-chief of the RMN.

It is understood KD Tun Razak is presently in the Indian Ocean after departing from Toulon in France on April 30 following successful sea trials in the Mediterranean. The country’s first submarine, KD Tunku Abdul Rahman, arrived at Port Klang on Sept 3 last year.

It has since become operational after overcoming minor hitches during tropical water trials in Malaysian waters.

Both SSK diesel-electric powered submarines of the Perdana Menteri-class will operate out of their main base — Teluk Sepanggar in Sabah. More than 150 RMN submariners were initially trained at Brest, France, to man the two submarines. Once here, KD Tun Razak, commissioned into the RMN at Cartagena, Spain in November last year, will undergo tropical water and operational trials.

Both the SSK submarines and an Agosta-class second-hand vessel boat were procured following an agreement with DCNS and its partner Navantia under a RM3.4 billion package in June 2002. The Scorpenes were jointly built at the Navantia shipyard in Spain and DCNS facility in Cherbourg, France. Each Scorpene submarine is 67.5m long, has a displacement of 1,550 tonnes, is manned by a crew of 31 and can sail for 45 days.

NULKA is an active missile decoy system that provides effective all-weather self-protection for naval vessels against anti-ship missiles.It can be used as part of a multilayer defence system or for stand-alone ship protection. (photo : BAE)

BAE Systems Australia has won a new contract to produce Nulka naval missile decoys for the Australian, US and Canadian navies, its 12th contract for the decoy.

The new agreement will see Nulka production extended through to at least 2013, earning the company more than $800 million since production started and making Nulka Australia’s most successful regular defence export.

The NULKA system allows for automatic or operator designation of a missile threat and, upon designation of a particular threat, will respond rapidly by launching an autonomous airborne decoy. Prior to launch the system calculates the optimum decoy flight trajectory for the mission and programmes that trajectory data into the decoy's flight control unit. (photo : gunplot)

“To date, 940 Nulka rounds have been produced. Later this year we will complete production of the 1000th round, which will be a very significant program milestone,” BAE Systems program manager Simon Forrest said. “Its deployment on more than 130 surface combat ships is a testament to the trust that the US, Canadian and Australian navies place in the system.”

The system comprises a tube launched, rocket propelled active electronic warfare decoy which launches and hovers away from the ship, and lures anti-ship missiles away from their targets.

22 Juni 2010

Australia will pay around $US60 million ($A70 million) each for advanced Joint Strike Fighter (JSF) aircraft and all bugs will be fully sorted by the time the first aircraft arrive, the head of the JSF program says.

Lockheed Martin JSF program general manager Tom Burbage, in Canberra to update the government and Defence on JSF progress, said he could guarantee the price would not be as high as the claimed $US133 million per aircraft.

"Australia is buying the airplane with 2014-15 deliveries and then on out for a number of years. The airplanes will be bought on an annual basis initially so the cost in each year will be slightly different and will go down with time," he told ABC Television.

Mr Burbage said Australia was buying the conventional takeoff and landing version, the least expensive of the three JSF variants.

"In today's dollars it looks like it will be right around $US60 million ($A70 million)," he said.

Mr Burbage said JSF was planned to enter service with the US Marine Corps in 2012, two years before the first Australian aircraft is even built and four years before the first JSF comes to Australia.

"They will have the bugs worked out long before that. Our test program runs until about 2014 but the last two years of that is primarily qualifying different weapons for the airplane," he said.

The Lockheed Martin F-35 Lightning JSF is an advanced stealth multi-role combat aircraft that will be the mainstay of US and allied air forces to around mid-century.

Australia will acquire up to 100 aircraft, with the first entering service in 2018. This will cost about $A16 billion, making it Australia's most expensive ever equipment acquisition.

The JSF project has faced frequent criticism that the aircraft will be expensive, will arrive late and won't be as good as initially promised.

Mr Burbage said JSF was meeting all performance standards and would far exceed the capability of much vaunted Russian and Chinese aircraft."I don't believe their level of capability approaches the levels that we are putting in these aircraft. We'll see," he said.

"They are certainly not in production like we are. In order to be an adversarial force, you have got to build the airplanes in some numbers. They are not at that stage by any means yet."

EADS, which is preparing to start deliveries of air tankers to the Royal Australian Air Force, has also been busy promoting its Airbus Military A400M and C-295 in Australia.

The A400M would be useful to Australia because "it is twice the size of the Lockheed Martin C-130 and carries twice the weight", says EADS corporate vice-president of international development for Asia Pacific and South America Christian Duhain.

"It is a stronger aircraft and can take off from rugged airfields," he adds.EADS has also been putting forward the C-295 to meet the military's requirement for fixed-wing short take-off and landing aircraft. The requirement has come about because late last year the air force retired its last de Havilland Canada DHC-4 Caribou transports.

Some of the Caribou's roles will be fulfilled by utility helicopters, but the Australian Defence Force has said publicly that it will also need fixed-wing aircraft.

Airbus A-400M (photo : Airliners)

This procurement will come under the Department of Defence's Project 8000 phase two, which calls for "first pass" approval in the 2010-11 to 2011-12 fiscal year and a decision in either 2012-13 or 2014-15.

As an interim solution, the service has been relying on Beechcraft King Air 350s.While EADS may be hoping Australia can become the A400M's second export customer outside Europe, it is continuing to work to deliver five Airbus A330 multi-role tanker transports to the air force.

Duhain says the programme's first two aircraft are supporting test activities in Spain, and will be delivered by the end of the year. These were modified by Airbus Military and Qantas Defence Services, respectively, with the latter to also prepare the remaining three examples.

"We are trying to make Australia part of our global supply chain," says Duhain, who notes that EADS's Eurocopter subsidiary also owns Australian Aerospace in Brisbane. The company assembles the Tiger armed reconnaissance helicopter for the Australian Army.

"Our approach is not about offsets: rather our approach is long term," he says.Duhain confirms that there may be an opportunity for Australian Aerospace to make helicopters for export customers.

21 Juni 2010

New Zealand’s Lockheed Martin C-130H upgrade programme is years behind schedule, but the country’s defence minister is confident that the first upgraded aircraft will be ready in the coming weeks.

The first modernised transport will to come to New Zealand in July or August, with the second to follow shortly after that, says defence minister Wayne Mapp.

The most recent delays to the programme were caused by software integration issues, says Mapp, who adds: “This was a lot more challenging than anyone anticipated.”

Work on the first two aircraft has largely been completed, but they are still at L-3 Communications' facility in Texas because subcontractor Honeywell is perfecting the software that has been installed, says a source in New Zealand’s defence ministry.

Once the first aircraft returns to New Zealand, it will have to undergo further testing by the air force before being properly inducted into the fleet, adds the source.

The upgrade involves installing a new avionics system, glass cockpit and navigation and communications suites, as well as structural work on the wings.

Mapp says Air New Zealand’s maintenance, repair and overhaul company Safe Air will still perform the upgrade work on the air force’s other three C-130Hs.

Safe Air announced in February that it was axing about 100 positions because of lengthy delays in the programme. It had expected to receive its first Hercules in August 2008, but the defence ministry source says it will now get this before the end of this year.

Safe Air is already performing a mission systems upgrade to the air force’s Lockheed P-3 Orion maritime patrol aircraft fleet. Work on the first of six aircraft was done by L-3 in the USA and the aircraft is undergoing testing.

“We are hopeful the aircraft will arrive in New Zealand in the fourth quarter,” says the source. “The second Orion is now in at Safe Air.” A third aircraft will enter work later this year, and the entire programme is scheduled to be completed in 2012.

Another ‘green’ A330 has arrived at Qantas Defence Services (QDS) in Brisbane ready for conversion to a KC-30A MRTT for the RAAF.The aircraft, the fourth of the five on order and the third to be converted at Brisbane, was built as a standard A330-200 by Airbus in Toulouse, and will be substantially modified over a 10 month period into its MRTT form.

The second aircraft to be modified by QDS is nearing completion and is scheduled to receive ‘power-on’ in July, while the first joined the original Airbus modified aircraft in Spain late last year for flight test and certification work.

The first two KC-30As are due to be delivered to the RAAF by the end of 2010, with the remaining three due by early 2012.

The Royal Malaysian Navy's Scorpene submarine KD Tun Razak, which is on its maiden journey home from Toulon in France accompanied by corvette KD Lekiu will dock at the port here for a four-day visit on Friday.The submarine, the second of the two Scorpene submarines procured by the Malaysian Navy from the French firm DCNS, will cast off for the Malaysian port of Lumut on Monday.

Commissioned into the Malaysian Navy in November last, the submarine will undergo its second phase of maintenance prior to tropical water trials once it reaches Malaysia.

Malaysia's Defence Attache in New Delhi Colonel Yusri bin Haji Anwar will be in Kochi in connection with the port call of Tun Razak.

KUALA LUMPUR: Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak is to officiate the new shipyard in Bagan Datoh tomorrow. The ceremony will be conducted after he officiated the Bagan Datoh Umno division meeting headed by its MP and Defence Minister Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamid. The shipyard is reportedly to be the facility to built two of three MPSS to be built for the navy.

NGV Tech Sdn Bhd, is the preferred local partner for the MPSS project and since it had already signed an MOU to purchase a shipyard in South Korea (during Lima 2009), one can surmised that a baby Dokdo would probably be the chosen design.

19 Juni 2010

The Burmese air force continues to expand with the recent procurement of 50 K-8 jet trainer aircraft from China, according to sources within the air force in Meikhtila.

“Parts of the K-8 aircraft were transported by cargo ship from China and are being assembled at the Aircraft Production and Maintenance Base in Meikhtila,” said one of the sources.

The purchase of the 50 aircraft comes after Burma’s air force chief Lt-Gen Myat Hein traveled to China in November to negotiate an upgrade to the fleet of Chinese-made military aircraft already owned by Burma.

“There are two reasons to purchase K-8 trainers,” said the source. “Either for training exercises or for counter-insurgency.”

The K-8 jet trainer, sometimes called the K-8 Karakorum or the Hongdu JL-8, is a joint venture between China and Pakistan, and is fitted with air-to-air missiles and rockets.

In 1998-9, the Burmese air force bought 12 K-8 jet trainers from China, which are now stationed at Taungoo Air Base in Pegu Division.

In addition to purchasing Chinese-made fighters and trainer aircraft, Naypyidaw signed a contract in late 2009 to buy 20 MiG-29 jet fighters from Russia at a cost of nearly US $570 million.

“The parts of the MiG-29 jet fighters will arrive in July and September by cargo ship and by plane,” said an officer close to Col. Tun Aung, a key figure in the Burmese air force. He said that the 20 Russian aircraft will be assembled in Meikhtila.

Meanwhile, Burma's main air base for maintenance, the Aircraft Production and Maintenance Air Base (APMAB) in Panchangone in Mingaladon Township has been relocated to Nyaunggone, close to the regime's Flying Training Base in Shante in Meikhtila Township, according to a source from the air base.

“The APMAB got the order from Naypyidaw in January to relocate to the new location,” he said, but said he did not know why the relocation took place. Military sources from Rangoon said that Burmese ruling military council upgraded the air force’s facilities and expanded airfields, as well as two air force bases in Bassein and Homemalin in 2006, to fulfill operational capabilities.

Burma has brought 280 aircraft from China, Russia, Yugoslavia and Poland, including trainers and fighters, since the military took power in 1988.

The Burmese air force was founded in 1947 before Burmese independence. Its main objective has since been counter campaigns against the Communist Party of Burma and several ethnic armies.

18 Juni 2010

TOKYO --- Rumors that the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force's third "aircraft carrying destroyer" would mark a major improvement in size and capability over the Hyuga class ships now entering service have been confirmed.

The new 22DDH will be 248 meters long and 39 meters in beam, and displace more than 24,000 tons. This makes her almost 50 percent larger than the Hyuga class and places an unbearable semantic strain on the use of the term "destroyer" to describe these ships. To put the size of the ship into context, she is comparable with a World War II Essex-class fleet carrier.

Illustrations of the 22DDH show her to be a full-fledged helicopter carrier with no real destroyer characteristics. The superstructure is very similar to that of the Hyuga class with the difference that the 01 deck is extended forward, probably to accommodate a vertical launch silo for air defense missiles. The point defenses of the new ships are more than doubled, with three Phalanx Mk 15 mountings and two RAM launchers replacing the pair of Phalanx mounts on the older ship. Significantly, while one of the Phalanx mounts on the Hyuga is situated forward on the flight deck, and thus obstructs fixed-wing operations, the 22DDH has all of its mounts located on sponsons clear of the flight deck itself.22DDH Landing Platform Helicopter (image : JMSDF)

The flight deck layout on the 22DDH differs significantly from that of the Hyuga class. One of the lifts has been moved from the centerline to the deck-edge position. The added width of the flight deck has been used to shift the axis of air operations clear of the remaining centerline elevator. The number of munitions elevators feeding the flight deck has been increased from two to four.

A vertical launch silo built into the rear of the flight deck on the Hyuga has been removed, once again reducing obstructions to flight operations. Flight deck operations capacity has been increased from two to seven helicopters.

Japanese accounts suggest that one of the reasons for the drastic increase in size of the 22DDH design is a planned shift to the V-22 Osprey as the primary air group element for these ships. It is not clear whether these would be replacements for or supplemental to the SH-60Ks that equip the Hyuga class. These accounts also make it clear that the F-35B short takeoff and vertical landing variant of the Joint Strike Fighter is seen as a key system for these ships. Apparently, provision for the operation of UAVs is being included within the design.

Paris - ST Kinetics, the land systems arm of ST Engineering, has been awarded a contract by the Finnish Army for the supply of 40mm High Velocity, High-Explosive Dual Purpose - Self Destruct (HV HEDP-SD) ammunition. This is a repeat order from the Finnish Army, a customer ST Kinetics has been supplying to since 2000.

The 40mm HV HEDP-SD round is designed to NATO STANAG 4403 for use in 40mm automatic grenade launchers. The ST Kinetics-patented mechanical self-destruct fuze is highly reliable and conforms to the MIL-STD-331 standard for fuze safety, reliability and performance. The HV HEDP-SD rounds can significantly reduce incidence of duds, especially in snow, swamp and sandy terrains.

"We are pleased to secure another contract from the Finnish Army, one of our key 40mm customers in Europe. This is a strong endorsement of the superior features of our HEDP-SD rounds, making it a clear leader in high velocity self destruct munitions." ~ SEW Chee Jhuen, President, ST Kinetics.

ST Kinetics is a leading provider of Total 40mm Solutions, offering a comprehensive range of 40mm grenade launcher weapon systems, and a family of high velocity and low velocity 40mm ammunition that include high explosive, enhanced blast, self-destruct, air bursting, surveillance, insensitive and less-than-lethal rounds. Our key customers in Europe include the Armed Forces in UK, Sweden, Spain and Slovenia. ST Kinetics is committed to maintaining its 40mm market leadership through product innovation and ammunition reliability.